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Ten On Ten – Martins

This week the ten on ten feature will highlight the recording career of the Martins. A mixed trio of siblings that burst on the scene in the early 1990’s and became a fixture on the Gaither Homecoming tour by the latter part of the decade.

The Martins intricate family harmony has won the group many fans and their a cappella work is flawless. The group took some time off and returned to the concert stage a couple of years ago and also released a new album in 2011.

The ten best albums by the Martins are as follows:

Wherever You Are (1996)

New Day (2011)

Glorify, Edify, Testify (2001)

Martins (1994)

Above It All (2003)

Windows (1999)

Marks Of The Trade (1991)

Live (1992)

Dream Big (1998)

An Acappella Hymns Collection (1996)

The pinnacle of the Martins recording career is the 1996 album Wherever You Are. This album captured the Martins at a point in their career that no other album in their discography could. One of the best songs the Martins ever recorded, “Grace”, is found on this album.

Along with “Grace”, the listener is also treated to “Stand Up And Be Strong”, “Only God Knows”, “There’s Not A Crown”, “Hazy Days”, “Well Water” and “Fly Away With You”.

The group’s most recent release, New Day, ranks #2 among the Martins best recordings. This was a great album for the group to release after an eight year absence. “Tell Them That I Love Them”, “Unredeemed”, “The Truth”, “Somebody Like Me” and “I Surrender” was some of the best music released in the year 2011.

Speaking of the eight year absence, the last new album released by the Martins before New Day was the 2003 album Above It All. This was the only album in the group’s discography that didn’t feature the three siblings of Jonathan, Judy and Joyce. Paul Lancaster was a member of the group with Judy and Joyce at the time of this recording.

Above It All ranks #5 among the group’s best albums. The biggest song of the Martin’s career, “The Promise”, is found on Above It All. Up until the release of New Day, Above It All was the most musically progressive album in the Martin’s discography. “What Mercy Means”, “For The Love”, “I Can’t Help Myself”, “In The Arms Of Someone Who Loves Me”, “Somebody Give Me A Stone” and “Sing Me Home” all deserve a listen from this recording.

The best album of the early days of the Martins recording career is the 1991 album Marks Of The Trade. Ranked at #7 among the group’s ten best, Marks Of The Trade features the title track along with “Kickin’ Up Dust”, “I”m Not Ashamed”, “He Leadeth Me”, “Joy In The Camp”, “It’s All Under The Blood” and “He Grew The Tree”.

I mentioned the Martins flawless a cappella singing. The group released an entire a cappella recording in 1996 titled An Acappella Hymns Collection. The album, ranked #10 among the group’s best recordings is a gem of an album that should be part of Southern Gospel aficionado’s collections.

The Martins are actually working on a new a cappella album with Lari Goss that will be released sometime in 2013.

In addition to the songs already listed, the Martins can be identified with the songs “Count Your Blessings”, “Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing”, “The Effectual Fervent Prayer”, “Except For Grace”, “In The Presence Of Jehovah”, “It Came To Pass”, “Now I’ll Follow”, “Out Of His Great Love”, “Prepare The Dwelling Place” and “Settle On My Soul”.

The Martins have more years ahead of them to release additional albums to change this list of ten. I look forward to hearing each and every one.